Arts & Entertainment Compass

NEW YORK — As the Midtown International Theatre Festival (MITF) prepares for its historic, massive return to the New York stage this summer, festival producers have unveiled a crown jewel of its 2026 lineup. “Stick to the Script!”, a razor-sharp, side-splitting full-length comedy written by Amy Losi and directed by Laurie Rae Waugh, has been named a featured production of the season.

The placement is more than just a scheduling highlight—it is a profound homecoming. “Stick to the Script!” will headline the festival’s residency at the American Theatre of Actors (ATA), proudly representing the landmark venue’s own inner creative circle. In a festival designed to celebrate the absolute best of independent theater, Losi and Waugh are firmly holding down “home base.”

The Play: A Hyperbolic Love Letter to Theatrical Chaos

“Stick to the Script!” offers a frantic, deeply familiar, and utterly hilarious look at the high-stakes, low-budget adrenaline of independent theater. The narrative thrusts audiences into the final, agonizing week of rehearsals for an amateur troupe.

The hurdles facing the company are a director’s worst nightmare:

• A cast routinely dropping lines.
• A stage manager far more invested in scrolling TikTok than throwing cues.
• A sarcastic director whose fuse has officially burnt down to a crisp.

While the play acts as a hyperbole rather than an exposé, it captures the universal truth of the fringe theatre experience. An earlier, one-act iteration of the piece—originally conceived over Zoom during the 2020 lockdowns under the cheeky title “Don’t Stand Up!”—captivated critics and audiences alike, taking home the prestigious “Spirit of the Hartford Fringe Festival Award.”

Now, expanded to double its original length, the full-length production gives these eccentric characters room to run.

“We’ve all had those moments where an actor drops lines, a sound effect goes off at the wrong time, or a prop is missing,” says playwright Amy Losi. “This script is written for laughs… Indie theater has to be compelling and able to attract new audiences that may be more comfortable at home on their phones. We have to convince people that live theater is exciting, unpredictable, and interactive. Nothing compares to the shared experience of sitting in a theater.”

Representing Home Base: The ATA Connection

What makes this production exceptionally distinct is its pedigree. Both playwright Amy Losi and director Laurie Rae Waugh are seasoned, revered members of the American Theatre of Actors repertory. By staging “Stick to the Script!” within the walls of the ATA, they are channeling decades of institutional creative energy.

The timing could not be more poetic. The ATA is currently celebrating its landmark 50th Anniversary—half a century of keeping the pulse of off-off-Broadway beating. Waugh’s veteran directorial hand combined with Losi’s insider wit ensures an authentic, sharp-edged execution that honors the very building they call home.

“Amy Losi has perfectly captured the ‘theatre of the absurd’ that happens behind the curtain,” noted the MITF executive team in a recent statement. “Featuring this production during the ATA’s landmark 50th Anniversary is especially fitting, as it celebrates the very artists who have kept the heart of independent theatre alive.”

A Festival Giant Reawakens

The inclusion of “Stick to the Script!” elevates an already momentous theatrical event. Founded by legendary off-off-Broadway pioneer John Chatterton and produced in a powerhouse partnership with indie luminary Jay Michaels Global Communications (JMGC), the revival of the Midtown International Theatre Festival marks the return of a true industry giant after a nearly decade-long hiatus.

Aiming to be the largest independent theater festival in history, the 2026 incarnation of MITF will completely transform the three-theatre ATA complex into a sprawling, multi-stage hub of creative innovation from June 15 through July 26, 2026.

Among a diverse lineup of straight plays, musicals, solo shows, short play labs, and films, “Stick to the Script!” stands out as a pure celebration of the medium itself—a reminder of why theater makers tolerate the madness, look at a crumbling opening night, and declare, “Live theater—what can you do?”

Performance Information

• WHAT: Stick to the Script! (A Full-Length Comedy)
• WRITTEN BY: Amy Losi
• DIRECTED BY: Laurie Rae Waugh
• WHERE: American Theatre of Actors (ATA), 314 W 54th St, NYC
• WHEN: June/July 2026 (Specific performance schedule to be announced shortly)
• ALL PERFORMANCE AVAILABLE TO THE PRESS — TICKETS FOR ALL SHOWINGS ON SALE NOW — CLICK HERE